Rasera listened quietly, wanting to say something that she knew Akar still cared deeply about his sister and she knew it was true. She had been with him for so long that she picked up on a least a few things. She had to bite her lip when she heard them starting to fight, feeling like she really had no place stepping in. She looked up when Canice came up the stairs and put his hand on her shoulder. When he entered the door way she turned, poking her head in to ensure that Akar was unharmed. She looked a little guilty from her eavesdropping and stayed behind Canice unsure the details they had been fighting over other than her but that didn't excuse her.

Tsuna turned her glare on Canice and he matched her with a calm look that left her hands steaming as she let the fire drop from them. Without looking at either Akar and nor his little girlfriend Rasera, she stalked out of the room and down the stairs. Canice sighed and Akar relaxed putting his hand to his head and rubbing his forehead. He forgot about the cut that was on it, but it didn't matter much, it was really only a scratch so it didn't hurt. He crouched against the doorframe, or the wall. Whatever it was that was behind him and didn't look up. He wasn't hurt, but he was irritated. He'd been wondering when this would happen, but the way Tsuna went about things, this wasn't done yet. And it wouldn't be for a while.

Canice watched Tsuna go, then turned his attention to Rasera. "Sorry about dat. Dese two lash out at each other every time day see each other." He shook his head slightly, then smiled at at Rasera. "I'm glad ya are feeling better dough." He shook his head in Akar's direction and dropped his voice so only she could hear him. "He probably shouldent-a gone as far as he did, but neither should-a Tsuna. Day'll be alright." He blinked realizing something. "Not dat it's da right time, but I'm Canice, and the red haired temper is Tsuna." Canice bowed slightly, his black hair falling more into his light green eyes. "I'll leave ya two alone," he said warmly. Straightening again he headed back down the stairs.

Rasera listened to Canice, finding his accent a little odd but for sure something she could understand. She found herself liking the man, and could tell that he probably was the voice of reason between the two, Tsuna and Akar. She nodded giving him a small smile of thanks for explaining to her when he didn't have to. She could tell that Tsuna just didn't like her for reasons of either her looking like Vesperia or that she thought she was trying to take her place. When he left them to give them some space, Rasera slowly walked over to Akar and placed her hand over his on. "Are you alright?" She asked, not wanting to upset him further.

Akar looked up when Rasera joined him. He smiled up at her and pushed himself up to stand in front of her. "I'm fine," he said softly. "She'd never hit me yet with her fire." He looked at her shoulder, guilt clawing at him still. "Are you alright? I promise the fight had nothing to do with you. That was just Tsuna being Tsuna. She'd short tempered and whenever things don't go her way she takes it out with her anger." He left out that that was one of the reasons he himself had shut his emotions away. He didn't want to be ruled by them. Not to mention it seemed that her fire magic only made it worse. Out of the four of them, Canice was really the only one without magic. But he was excellent at homemade remedies from the covenant.

Akar wrapped his arms around Rasera. "Well..." he said looking around, glade to see that nothing was scorched or burned. "This is Vespira's room, and the other room was mine. Welcome to my house," he said shrugging slightly. He'd pull Rasera close to him and hug her tightly, but gingerly. He wasn't sure if she was still in any pain, and he didn't want to cause her any. He kissed her softly on the forehead. "I suppose I can show you around if you like. It's rather obnoxiously big, and there's nothing really to it. Or we could go see how much of a smart horse I have and see if she came home or not." A small hint of worry crept into his voice at the last few words of that sentence.

Even if Akar had said he was alright, she scanned his body checking for injuries. When she was pleased that he was in fact telling the truth and not trying to make her feel better she relaxed in his arms, resting her head against his strong frame. It felt so natural for here to be there. "I'm fine, I am worried though that my presence has upset her..." She admitted with a mumbled, starting the overly obvious. Of course if someone showed up getting buddy buddy with their childhood friend who had looked like their sister but wasn't...She'd be a little cautious as well.

"Lets go look for your horse and make sure she got home before you give me a tour. You're terrible at keeping the worry from your voice." She teased, leaning up and placing a soft kiss on his lips. To help show that she was in fact feeling better and that she had no anger towards him for the events of last night.

Akar shook his head at her worry. "Tsuna's always been like that. There is no getting through to that girl unless you're some godly male named Canice who can walk into an all out brawl and settle everyone with one look of his piercing green eyes," he explained with a hint of a chuckle in his voice. It was sad because he wasn't joking, and had actually seen it done before. Canice had come to Akar's rescue in the past when he bit off more than he could chew. One of the rare occasions they'd run into each other over the seventeen years. He smiled at the thought, though he'd actually gotten beat pretty bad that day.

Akar looked down at her when she spoke of going to look for Sorrahkin. He chuckled softly and gave a half smile. "Am I really so easy to read?" he asked curiously. He kissed her back gently when her lips met his and then kissed her forehead softly again. "Alright," he said nodding. "First we need my cloak back because my guess is it's raining, or drizzling, and I'd rather you not get sick if I can help it." With that he'd take her hand and lead the way back to his room. Grabbing the cloak off the bed, he'd put it around her, then silently head towards the stairs. It was quiet down there and he guessed Tsuna had gone off outside somewhere, probably home. Canice would probably be reading some new book, and this would make it easy for them to slip out the back door onto the porch.

Akar gazed out into his yard, his mind filled with memories of the past. More specifically that night that everything had happened. His other hand clenched into a fist as he looked out into the wild flowers that grew back there. Shaking his head to clear any memories that tried to resurface her whistled once. Long and loud as he looked out into the yard. He was right, it was drizzling just a little, and like at Everbridge, it was a soaking rain.

Rasera could not help the smile on her face, she loved being with Akar. He was protective and and so completely gentle with her and he made her feel special. She easily walked with him back to his room and accepted his cape, even if she wanted to say that she should be wearing it for the same reasons. Though, his scent on was it and she loved the smell of him. Spice and woods, she had determined and she took a long slow inhale looking around to see if Tsuna would pop up anywhere. She didn't want to anger the girl further...

When outside she took note of the drizzle of rain and sighed, it seemed like this part of the country rained on and on forever. She looked up to see a distant look on Akar's face for a moment before he sent out a loud, long whistle which she assumed was for finding a certain horse. As they waited in the silence she shifted herself to leaned on Akar just gentle enough to show she was there. "You look so sad..." She said knowing losing his sister and unsure of where she had been for so long had darkened his memories.

Akar looked down at her for a moment then pulled the piece of the painting out and held it out in front of the two of them. He didn't explain, he probably didn't have to. The painting was so life like, it almost blended into the view in front of them, as if a younger Akar and Vespira still stood in the wild flowers laughing and playing, him with the flower band on his head. "This was where we were playing when the men first showed up. This is also were they dragged us out to when they found us both. Where I last saw Vespira before that man knocked me out." His voice was a little cold, but he almost smirked when he brought up the one who knocked him out. Pocketing the picture once more he wrapped his arm around Rasera, holding her close to his side.

He kept quiet as he waited. Sorrahkin had never missed a call before. Never. No matter where he was, she always knew where to find them. It was just a matter of time. So long as she still managed to get away. She must have though. There wasn't a more clever horse that Akar knew of anywhere in the world. Sorrahkin was brilliant. There wasn't any reason she wouldn't come. Still, he was getting nervous as the seconds went by. He squeezed Rasera lightly for a moment while he looked out into the distance. He wanted nothing more than to see a wet black horse looking irritated at him.

Rasera listened quietly, offering her comfort in silence as he spoke and she watched as he pulled out the painting. He looked so happy, a wide smile on his face that Rasera wasn't sure she had seen before. She might never see it again, being so carefree and happy comes with innocence and after the attack there wouldn't be any of that. Perhaps after his sister was found and they were away from the war she could try to bring the smile to his face more often, to ease the lines of stress on his face. She loved him, ever beat in her heart was for him and she could do no other than to try and make him happy.

She leaned into him, waiting for the sound of hooves along with the soothing sound of the rain. "You'll find her one day, Akar, I know you will." She tried her best to comfort him, holding onto his side a little more tightly. "And I am sure she is alive and well." She added, in case any depressing thoughts had come to his head about finding out his sister had died.

Akar put his head onto hers lightly. He honestly felt perfect where they were, and he didn't want to move. This felt amazing, and right. He took a deep breath and smiled. Her scent mixed with the air was rather smoothing to him. It made him feel a lot better than he could have expected. Her words made him feel a lot better, and even happy. Even the drowsy weather couldn't bring his mood down. The only thing that really had an effect on him was how long it was taking Sorrahkin. He started to wonder if maybe he should call her again. He scanned the horizon one more and was about to when the mare finally appeared in the distance. She was running full speed towards them, her mane plastered to her neck, but looking none the worse for ware.

Akar sighed in relief. "There she is," he said softly, his tone completely expressing how he felt. Sorrahkin raced towards them and tossed her head. She got a certain distance away and reared, kicking up at the sky. She looked more happy to see them than irritated at being out in the rain. " I swear she'd going to give me a heart attack one day," he muttered to himself as the mare continued her race towards them.

Rasera felt the happiness in relief in Akar and she was more than happy to have been of help to him. When Sorrahkin came into view and trotted up to them, Rasera went up to her, patting her wet fur with one hand. "I'm happy you didn't leave me all alone with him." She teased, looking back to Akar playfully as she kept a hand on Sorrahkin despite her hand and arm getting wet from the rain. "Who knows how long it would take for him to drive me crazy." She whispered to the horse, loud enough for Akar to hear.

Rasera would go with Mask to put Sorrahkin somewhere drive and safe and then turned to him, her large blue eyes looking up at him with love. "Would you like to show me around now?" She asked, pulling his cloak in closer to his body to keep her warm.

Akar rolled his eyes at the conversation between Rasera and Sorrahkin. He watched the mare toss her head as if she was laughing, and he turned his back on the two of them playfully. "Alright, I can leave if you two don't want me here," he said smirking to himself. Of course, that was the most he could do and in a few seconds he spun towards them and rushed over to Rasera, picking her up and spinning with her out into the rain. Sorrahkin snorted and praced around them happily. Once he set Rasera back down on the ground he'd lead them over to the barn, which sat a little ways away. There were four stalls in there, only three actually used, and for the most part, only two seeing as Sorrahkin was always with Akar. He set her up in the stall, making sure she had water, bedding, and scooping grain for her and a small pit of hay.

When Rasera turned to him them, he smiled at her. "Alright, I'll show you around now," he said and gestured around them. "This is the barn. This is Sorrahkin's stall, that white horse is Stracht and he's Tsuna's stallion. He's also albino and the red in his mane and tail is paint. That chestnut over there with the white socks and blaze is Canice's stallion. His name is Foji." Each horse was staring at the two humans wanting food. "Now if you'll come this way, we can enter my house.. and from here, you can see how unnecessarily huge it is." He lead the way back towards the house and would show her around. All except the one door that remained shut. One room sealed off from the rest.

Rasera squeaked when Akar had ran to her, laughing happily as she was spun around. Once everyone was situated in the stables she looked at each horse he had explained and nodded. They were beautiful horses and it made her miss the horses that had been on the land with her adoptive father.

As they walked inside a slow grin came to to her face. She didn't see him being the rich type and it certainly wasn't anything that would draw him to her, but he really did seem like the traveling type. That might have been since she had met him they had been on the road or traveling somewhere, never really resting. When she noted that was room was closed and look to Akar and stopped. "Whats that room?" She asked, her innocent blue eyes staring up at him.

Akar showed her the library and the kitchen, the living room, and other different and weird rooms of his house. He actually had a couple of some rooms, but really they were more for the servents. If you could call them that. They pretty much had free rein when it came to working here. They always had. Not to mention, they were only paid to clean. Akar's mother had been the cook for everyone. She'd loved to cook, and paint. That's what made Akar freeze when Rasera noticed the locked up room. He stood kind of rigged when she'd asked what was in the room. He rubbed one hand against his arm as he stood with his back to Rasera and the door.

"There's a key above the door if you want to know," he said quietly. He didn't want to see the room he knew what was inside of it. Nothing would be changed. It would still be clean and tidy, or as tidy as it ever was. The sheer beauty of the room still perfectly in tack. This was one room he still couldn't go into. Every other room in the house he was fine with, this one he wasn't. Canice peered around the corner silently. He didn't say anything, his green eyes just watching. Akar never turned around but he walked away. "I'll be in the kitchen if you decide not to go in," he called back to her. Canice shook his head and waited to see if Rasera would go in or not.

When Rasera asked about the room she immediately regretted it, the happiness that had once been there was now gone. Replaced by Akar who had gone stiff, and distant sounding. She knew it had to do something with his family. A soft frown pulled down the corners of her mouth when he left her. "Akar..." She said, knowing he couldn't hear her now that he had gone. Perhaps it was a good idea to check it out...? If she knew his scars perhaps she could be there help help heal them.

Slowly, after staring down the hallway where Akar had left her, she turned and reached for the key. She pulled it down and slowly unlocked the door, opening it. Whatever was behind this door was hurting Akar and whether it was good or bad memories she thought it might be a good idea. She opened the door and wondered what she would see.

What the door would open to was a studio. Dark with no lights on, the room was covered in paintings. It was their mother's studio, and paintings on canvas lines the walls, floors, and anything they could be put on. Stacks of them. Directly in front of the door was a huge painting of the family. A 6 year old Akar holding hands with a three year old Vespira, both smiling brightly. Behind Vespira stood a strong looking man who was their father. He wore the clothes a knight would under their armor. He hand one hand on Vespira's shoulder and the other was around the kid's mother. She was a beautiful women who had a soft smile to her features. Her eyes were alight in the joy of her family. The different paintings around the room were of the mom and dad, some of the different views from the house. Most of them were Akar and Vespira when they were little.

Canice walked around the corner and to the door. He flipped the light switch on, hoping not to scare Rasera but probably guessing he would anyways. "Apologies if I scared ya," he said softly. "I noticed Akar's reluctance, and figured I might be able ta explain why. Unless you can tell already, dis is Vespira and Akar's mother's studio." He gestured to a painting over in the corner. It was the one Akar had ripped up to get the picture of Vespira. The rest of it had little fist sized holes in it. Canice leaned against the door frame and returned his attention to Rasera, wondering what she'd do now. "Dings weren't really as good when he left as he might lead on," Canice said with a frown.

Rasera was only able to see the painting in front of her, of the entire family and she felt a deep sorrow sitting on her chest. This was his family and it had been ripped apart. She felt a lump in her throat that she swallowed to keep down. Luckily Canice had come in and scared her enough that the lump went away as she listened to him talk. She felt the sadness soon return to her as he explained what the room was and that when Akar left it had been on mad terms. "Thats why Tsuna is mad with him..." She said with some amount of realization.

"Thank you, for telling me." She said, walking over to Canice, and putting a hand on his shoulder to show him her appreciation. She gave him the key to the room, running down the hallway to where she figured the kitchen might be. There were tears burning in her eyes when she entered the room, her golden hair hanging in her face. "I'm sorry, Akar...I didn't mean to upset you..." She stayed at the door, not wanting to go in and disturb him,

Canice only smiled when Rasera seemed to put it together. He shook his head and turned the light off after looking over at one of the pictures on the ground. It was the four kids playing in the street. Tsuna and Vespira had huge smiles on there faces, and Canice and Akar were acting like gentlemen. His mother had been such a good artist. He closed the door and locked it, putting the key back up on top of the door. He looked off after Rasera. "Well Akar, ya definitely found someone who'll be good for ya. Maybe she can break drough dat hard shell ya put yaself inta." He headed back into the library to pick up where he left off on his book.

Akar was sitting at the table with his head in his hands. He was trying to push the image of the family painting from his head. He looked up at Rasera when she burst into the room. He couldn't help the half smile on his face. He stood up and walked over to her. Looking down at her for a moment. "You didn't upset me Rasera," he said softly to her. "Some scars don't go away so easily," he said. The one memory flashed behind his eyes. Walking down stairs to see his mother dead on the floor. The room of her studio. The other reason he refused to go in there. He wrapped her up in his arms, looking for the comfort of her arms around him. The presence of her close to him. That was all he wanted right now.

Rasera could practically feel the sadness pouring off of Akar, and it was breaking her heart. When he walked over to her, he was so gentle, trying not to upset her even as he pulled her into a crushing hug. She wrapped her arms around Akar in return, turned her face into his chest and silently wept. She wasn't crying for herself, no, she was weeping for Akar's unshed tears for all the emotion he had held inside for so long. Keeping himself distanced from the pain and emotion of losing his mother, and then being helpless to help his sister. She would cry for both of them.

Akar felt her pressed against him, and he put his head down on hers. All at once, the memories came at him. Everything he'd tried so hard to keep out of his head. Everything with his father in the shop making bows and arrows. Sitting with his mother while she painted. Playing with Vespira while they 'attacked' their father in the grass. All of those memories of before their father had died, before their mother had died, before Vespira was taken. All of it. Those memories weren't the only ones that seemed to creep into his mind. Anything he'd blocked out. Like the day in Tarz.

Dark storm clouds covering the sky. Akar was seventeen. He stood in the rain and stared at the building. The man who'd taken Vespira inside. Dagger in hand, Akar had taken down any man he came across. He wasn't sure if he'd killed them, but they were out of his way. He'd given in to his emotions. Done what Tsuna did. He let his anger lead him. He remembered torturing the boss man. The one who'd taken Vespira. Made him plead for mercy, beg for his life, claim he'd given the girl to someone else. That wasn't good enough, Akar wanted to know where she was. He said he didn't know. In the end, he never got the information he wanted. The punishment, he'd tore open the man's stomach and let him bleed out while Akar watched.

All at once, emotions hit him. Anything, everything. Things he tried not to feel, things he did, things he'd just learned. Tears brimmed his eyes and he gave in finally. Finally he let the shield he'd wrapped himself in break and gave into emotions. Tears fell from his eyes and down his face. His entire body shook with everything. If Rasera wasn't in his arms he left like he'd break and fall apart on the floor. Everything seemed to crash on him at once. He wasn't sure what to do. Helplessness hit him on top of everything else, and because of everything else.

Rasera felt it, felt emotions that weren't hers and then she wasn't in Mask's arms anymore. She was floating in Tarz, her body no heavier than a feather as she floated off the ground. She looked below her to see Akar, but it wasn't the man she knew. He was in a violent rage, killing or hurting any he had come in contact with. She watched the bloody scene, which at the time she didn't know as a memory, in horror. She was shocked to watch Akar violently kill a man, ripping his stomach open. This wasn't Akar, it was Mask. Never before had she made a distinct difference in the two until that moment.

There were other things, happy memories of his family, friends his former life. Then the fatal day his mother was kill and his sister was taken. Then a long lonely road. There were memories of herself, feelings thoughts. Everything was hitting her like a ton of bricks and when she finally returned to herself she was shaking nearly as hard as Akar. She pushed gently at the wall of his chest. "Ma.." She had nearly called him Mask. "Akar...I can't breath...something happened..." She needed to breath, to understand what she had seen.

There were many times before this where she could tell something about someone when she touched them or sensed something else about them but never this. She was never able to know what they were feeling or thinking, even reading into their past. The normal pain she had gotten was there, wracking her body but the shock of what she had seen scared her into forgetting that pain.

Akar got lost in his memories, but he fought back against them. Pushed them away, back into his head. Locked them away once more. He let go of Rasera and backed up a bit. He crouched down, catcher style and let his hair hand in his face, shadowing it. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to control his emotions once more. That had almost been painful, and he wondered if he'd hurt Rasera. He hadn't really heard what she said, but instinctively he knew to let go. His arms laid on his knees as he looked at the floor below him. He felt light headed, and worn out again.

He didn't look up at Rasera, he was afraid to. He'd given in, and wondered what she'd think of him. He wasn't all fine and happy. He liked to pretend he was, pretend he felt whole and was some knight in shining armor. He knew he wasn't. He was so protective because he was afraid of himself. He didn't want people to have to deal with how he used to be. Cold and unfeeling. Evil. Was he still like that? He didn't feel like he was, but what if he was? What if he was still that person? If he still hurt people like that. He was wrapping himself up in a war. Was he even on the right side? What if this side was just people who were like how he used to be. He felt so lost.

As soon as the physical contact had ended so did the memories flooding Rasera's head of Akar's past. Overwhelming emotion that had been clouding her thoughts and took her ability to breath were lessened considerably as she leaned against the wall to catch her breath. Had...Mask really felt this? All this pain? She had not one clue to it, and she had been leaning on his strength since day one when he couldn't even afford to hold himself up.

Rasera brought the back of her hand to her mouth to keep from any noise leaving her. There was such darkness in him that she had not know and it honestly scared her. She knew Akar, knew his kindness and love but being around her had opened the wounds so raw on his heart that he had sealed shut. Once she got some sort of semblance of control and bent down to him, "Akar...please...please don't shut yourself away from me..." She whispered, as gently as she could, as if speaking to a hurt child. There was a wealth of love in her voice and in her face, despite her fears from what she had seen of his past. "Please..."

Akar didn't move. He felt numb to everything around him, everyone. He wanted to melt away and not exist anymore. Maybe the reason he was used to being called Mask was because he felt like Mask was one who stronger. The one who dealt with things better than Akar did. Was he two different people? Was he even himself anymore? When he'd been knocked out had those men killed Akar? Should he even try to be his old self anymore? The happy one who cared for his family, who always smiled and made sure people were happy? Who'd tried to protect his family? He hadn't done a very good job of it.

He was still shaking, and without moving his head he looked up at Rasera. She didn't look like she was afraid of him, or that she thought any differently of him, but what if she did? He knew he should have never come back here, but what else could he do? She'd needed help because he'd gotten her hurt. It was his fault, and he knew it was. His heart was racing in his chest. What should he do? What could he do? "Stay away from me," he said shakily. He didn't even sound like himself. So who was he? Mask or Akar? He felt like this was Mask. "Stay away from us," he corrected himself. She'd be better off if they'd never met.

Rasera felt her heart in her throat, he had denied her. He didn't want her around him anymore, but she wasn't going to leave him. Not like this, and when he was better under control she would see if he still wanted her gone from his presence. She leaned in closer to him, wrapping her arms around him, despite the images that flowed in her mind. She closed them out, concentrating on the here and the now. He needed her help to at least get himself in one piece.

"No." She said firmly, holding him all the tighter as she laid her head upon his. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, even if you can't believe that. I love you, and if you really wish me gone from you then you can ask me to leave once I know you are alright first. And only after that." There were tears in her voice but she was going to be strong, wanting him to know she wanted to be near him.

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Dragons' Cove

An island (that is more of a continent) that is completely cut off from the world it is placed in. If the foreigners are anything to go by, it may be the only innately magical part of the world, feeding out to other areas. It has a delicate balance, and its nature changes depending on the actions of its inhabitants.

This makes it either perfectly pleasant or bitterly brutal to live on, depending on your era. Explore its history with caution, but take time to stop and appreciate it as well.